The Blue Whale of Catoosa has been on my Route 66 bucket list for quite a while, and I'm glad we…read morefinally made the stop. At first glance, you might wonder why people travel miles to see a giant blue whale. Then you get there, walk through it, read the story behind it, and it all starts to make sense. What began as a whimsical anniversary gift from Hugh Davis to his wife Zelta has become one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Mother Road. The recent restoration is impressive. The visitor center does an excellent job sharing the history, the grounds are clean and well maintained, and the whale looks fantastic. Walking through the whale's mouth and out the tail brought out the kid in me, while the historical displays gave me a new appreciation for the people who created it. This isn't a place where you'll spend half a day--20 to 30 minutes is about right--but it's absolutely worth the stop. It's fun, nostalgic, family-friendly, and one of those Route 66 attractions you'll be talking about long after you leave. One piece of advice for fellow Oklahoma Route 66 Passport travelers: don't get so caught up exploring that you forget to get your passport stamped...like I did! ‍ No worries--the Blue Whale gave me the perfect excuse to plan another trip down Route 66.

The Blue Whale is a historic landmark along Route 66 in Catoosa, OK. It was a stop we wanted to…read moremake rain or shine during our Route 66 Centennial Celebration road trip in the Midwest. My eldest daughter and I did just that. Yes, it was raining cats and dogs. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to walk outside to be closer to the Blue Whale. We did our best to capture some photos from a far of its 20 feel tall and 80 feet long frame. There is a visitor center that holds the history of its loving story. We didn't get to walk inside the center either. It was slightly disappointing to come from a far and we didn't get to experience it the way we would have liked. Yes, we could have gotten out of the car and walked on over to the whale and center. However, we didn't bring an umbrella or any covering to keep us dry from the pouring rain. Lesson learned... bring an umbrella rain or shine! LOL No regrets... just fond memories of our wonderful experiences as it is meant to be. We just weren't meant to see the Blue Whale up close and personal. All good! I didn't know until after our trip that the Blue Whale of Catoosa was built in 1972 by zoologist Hugh Davis as an anniversary gift for his wife Zelta. It evolved from a private family swimming hole into a beloved free public attraction. If you ever get a chance to visit here, please give the Blue Whale a hug for me. Thank you!

Important and terribly unfortunate ;and shameful) part of American history. Need to learn more and…read morespend more time in this area. Very moving experience that should motivate all of us to learn to love each other and work to stomp out racism of all forms ...

Really glad I made the trip to Black Wall Street. In recent years, it's been talked about more…read morethrough film, tv shows and new stories and wanted to visit the area. What a tragic part of history, but I am glad the area has been preserved for people to visit and learn more about this part of history. There's several boutique shops, cafes and murals you can visit. There's also a museum, which was closed at the time we visited. If you're in Tusla, definitely worth a visit.

You get quite a history lesson with your tour! Highly recommend it the owner is really nice and…read moregreat at telling stories.

The famous Tulsa Cave House was built by Joseph Koberling Sr. and James Purzer during the 1920's…read more Originally this cave like building was designed as a restaurant with outdoor dining. This restaurant served as a front to a speakeasy at night (with possible activity involving mobsters, shady business, etc). A long time ago there were tunnels (that are long gone, as they had collapsed, according to our tour guide and owner of the home) that served as an entrance and exit point. The Fire Department actually came to check and see around the home and had found some of those collapsed tunnels and that it would lead to the back of the home and over the hill. Since then, this home was owned by a few other owners and then was left abandoned for many years until Linda Collier purchased this home in 1997 and eventually repaired and restored the home. She opened this home to the public in 2007 for tours (only $10 per person). According to Linda, the home was in such a disrepair that the realtor she was with refused to enter. But as soon as Linda stepped in, she knew she just had to purchase it. She was going to move in but said that a ghost/ apparition convinced her not to move in. So she used it as a place for her woodwork and a place to write (she still does not live in the home). During that time, locals would ring the doorbell and ask if they could take a peek inside, as they had always known about the cave house but had always wondered what laid inside. Eventually Linda decided to provide tours for locals and tourists. My husband and I came for a visit on a Thursday afternoon (we had contacted Linda earlier that day and said she would be able to give a tour at 2 pm. She was so sweet to let us come in earlier, as we had arrived a bit earlier). We sat in the living room and heard a few stories of the home and looked at the old photos that she had to share of previous owners of the home and of what this home looked like before. She also told us that her home was featured on HGTV's "Home Strange Home" show and also is in the book "Weird Oklahoma." Then she showed us around her home and explained what she had done to the walls or what she had added, etc. Upstairs, there is a fun slide that my husband went down twice (lol, he's such a kid at heart). Linda had said that she added that slide for her daughter (such a cool mom she is. I wish I had a slide in my bedroom when I was kid). It was very interesting to learn about the history that Tulsa had. Also earlier in the week, some locals at a dog event we had gone to with our little girl dog, had told us about the Tulsa Cave House (although I already had this place bookmarked before visiting Oklahoma) and that they had gone on a tour and that it was worth a visit. Our tour was about 50 minutes and thought it was at a good pace and a fun activity to do. If you are looking for something out of box and happen to be visiting Tulsa, you should consider checking out the Tulsa Cave House. It is recommended to make an appointment beforehand. Although you may get lucky to do a walk in, if Linda is home.

My Alltime MLB Player The "Commerce Comet" Mickey Charles Mantle!!!…read moreYes I added this to my Bucket List and Now I have done it Folks!!! Wow Small time Boy makes it to Big Ole New York City and becomes a Baseball Legend. Just think it started here in Tiny Commerce Oklahoma!!!

While my eldest daughter and I were in the City of Tulsa, OK, we had to swing by the icon statue of…read moreThe Golden Driller. It depicts an oil worker wearing a hard hat and holding a drilling derrick. It stands 76 feet tall and weighs 43,500 pounds. It captures the bold spirit and history of the region's oil boom in turn is a striking tribute to the petroleum industry. This statue is located right outside the Tulsa Expo Square. It is very easy to find. It's so tall and yellow. You can't miss it. It was rainy during our visit, but I was still able to capture some photos of the statue. I zoomed in to see the impressive scale and detailed craftsmanship of this super cool and giant landmark. Despite of the wet weather, it was still a fantastic stop for quick photos during our Route 66 Centennial Celebration road trip in the Midwest. Definitely a memorable roadside attraction for all visitors to enjoy. Thanks Golden Driller!

This only a review for the statue out front which is epic. Stopped to take some photos before going…read moreto the airport. Everyone must check it out before leaving Tulsa.

i had a beautiful experience at the centennial plaza. i'd saw the statues from across the pavement,…read moreso to speak, and thought, huh, giving "british are coming." thus, in anticipation of the upcoming 2026 fifa world cup, i searched for when the english national team is scheduled to come to the event, which north america, the united states of included, is hosting, and found, gratefully, that the english team will play in the group stage in the dfw area, and that one pub local to dallas, called the londoner, is excited for the city to host the event, also, more objectively speaking, the commemorative plaza features a placard in the center among a series of five that biographizes the life of the namesake person, who was key to the establishment of ok statehood, and who from the brief reading i've done on him, leans more toward the side of public service than colonialism, certainly as far as ok whites go.

Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza is important location when you enter into Tulsa metropolitan from the…read moresouth. This plaza located at the Arkansas River with major connections to the historic memorial bridge, river walk bridge, and statue of car and wagon. Very easy to spot. You can park your car at the right of pedestrian bridge and cross sit to the plaza. This plaza is part of famous history Route 66. You can enjoy the old railroad station, bridge walk to other side of bank to visit the historical sign. This plaza definitely is photo hot spot. Many place can get this photo including the gateway of Tulsa.

First thing's first: adjust your expectations. This is a historic venue. Sometimes the showers…read moretake a long time to heat up and sometimes they stay lukewarm. Sometimes it's hot or cold because there are no individual thermostats. Fans and heaters are provided aa needed. I haven't stayed in the winter, but in the summer, once the sun goes down, with the fans, it's quite pleasant. I stayed in the king bed two story suite. It's airy, full of light, roomy, beautiful. I adore the tall windows. There is a TV upstairs and downstairs. The bed is plush and comfy and the linens crisp, fresh, and clean. The bathroom is quite small, but inline with FLW and the times. The facility gives tours and they are interesting and enlightening! There is a restaurant on site, open Tuesday through Saturday (reviewed separately). It's the closest thing you get to elevated in Bartlesville. They have trivia Tuesdays, wine Wednesday, live entertainment Thursday, karaoke Friday, and regular Saturdays. Staff is always wonderful. Highly recommended. But please don't rate this unique, historical site on the same plane as four seasons.

Are you a Frank Lloyd Wright aficionado? Keep reading…read more.. The Inn at Price Tower is a Wright time capsule and well worth the time and expense to visit this building and immerse yourself in the architectural experience. I'm a retired architect and a big FLW fan. The "hospitality side" (ie: what normal consumers expect from a hotel property) is pretty non-existent. Let me explain: Not to get into mechanical engineering weeds, but the building has a 2-pipe HVAC system. This means that the entire building is either heating or cooling depending upon the season. No matter how hot or cold you may be in your hotel room, if the system is in heating mode (wintertime) there is no A/C available. Likewise, if the system is in cooling mode (summertime), there is no heating available. We stayed 2 nights in early May so the heating was still on (kind of between seasons), but since there was an oscillating fan available in our room, we were fairly comfortable sleeping. Not really a biggie, just be aware of the building's heating/cooling limitations. The other thing really perplexing was that there was no coffee service available in the morning. The in-house restaurant did not offer breakfast, the Lobby area provided no guest coffee service and there was no in-room coffeemaker provided - weird! In the last 30 years of business travel I can't recall a similar situation. In order to get coffee, guests are required to walk 2 blocks to a local coffee shop that opens at 6am weekdays and 7am weekends. Super inconvenient from a "hospitality" standpoint. So, if you're familiar with Wright's design sensibilities, you'll recall that he never had much use for bathrooms and elevators - both of which are super small by modern standards and current building codes. Don't expect the spa level experience you may have enjoyed at other boutique hotels - they 'aint there, lol! If you go into the Inn at Price Tower experience with a "Wright state of mind", you'll enjoy your stay and be able to forgive the limitations of the design. The tour is well worth the price, and I highly recommend participating. Our group consisted of only me and my wife, so it was basically a private tour. It was advertised as a 60-minute tour, but our Dosen gave us nearly 2 hours! Really interesting. Take-a-ways: Bring you own coffee maker and breakfast items. Be prepared for the seasonal interior heating or cooling situation and be sure to have reasonable expectations for living in a Wright-designed building for a night or two. If you have these, your experience will be a lot of fun. Enjoy!

got there, immediately liked addition to shared trail of distinction between running and vehicle…read morelanes via green paint at potential collision junctions. next, oh wait, before that, getting ready to cross riverside dr, i heard and saw hooping on the 2nd most southernly of the 5 courts, and hollered something bout hooping on the volleyball court because i've come to associate all 3 of the most southernly courts with a volleyball net setup, even though the 3rd most southernly and northernly is the only court i actually saw with one tonight. okay, so, yeah, the hooping was decently good too, saw a couple tough drives to basket, including a smooth finger rolling lay. i'd not hopped into any of the pickup runs, but glad to be there and see some action. by the way, the drives and lay transpired on the 2nd most northernly court, which tends to be where the most serious hoopers congregate from what i've saw. further, i'd heard a security officer notifying people to the courts closing in about 15 to 20 minutes, before cutting off most of the lights, leaving enough for each courtgoer to safely disperse.

The Gathering Place is truly one of the most peaceful and beautiful spots in Tulsa. It's definitely…read moremy favorite spot. I love to bird watch here! I bring my binoculars and always spot a great variety of birds. The trees are absolutely stunning... there are over 100 species of trees. Honestly... it's a little escape from a hectic world. It's the perfect place to bring a book, find your spot, and just relax for a while. Whether you're looking to unwind, enjoy nature, or have a quiet moment to yourself...this park is a hidden gem that never disappoints. Perfect for getting in your steps too! I like to go early morning before it gets too hot or busy. Starting in May they have free canoe rentals!! They also have very good food. Love their fresh fruit cups which they prepare every morning daily, their sandwiches are fresh and very good! I've also had their ice cream and it's delicious. When you first walk into the main building, you can check out chess pieces and other games. Some of the tables have the chessboard design printed on them. Perfect for getting your chess game on. Every Wednesday and Sunday, you can bring your dog. Over at the boathouse on the bottom floor they have a little museum called "Drawers of curiosity." Hard to believe The Gathering Place doesn't charge an entrance fee!! It's just simply amazing!

The Harmony Bridge carries Memorial Drive (US-64) over the Arkansas River, joining Tulsa with…read moreBixby. There are actually two bridges here - the highway bridge that has two lanes of traffic in each direction and the parallel Harmony bridge that is a pedestrian and bicycle route also known as the Riverwalk Trail. I'm not sure if it's Tulsa, Bixby or the State that did the work here, but the bridge is almost a park all by itself, with shaded dining areas, plastic lounge seats looking out of the river and even a love lock structure where you can add your padlock with your significant other's initials to leave your mark. The remodeling was completed this past summer and it looks terrific. There is a small parking lot at the south end or the much larger parking lot in the Washington Irving Park. [Review 16260 overall - 96 in Oklahoma - 1766 of 2021.]

We drive by here almost every weekend and we've only stopped briefly with some out of town guests…read moreback in June. We did not stay long enough. This past weekend, we stopped by to have a picnic lunch. Besides the artisan tables you see from the highway, there are two different covered picnic areas in the back. After our lunch we really looked around the place, walking inside the giant totem pole and visiting Galloway's workshop (open most days). The volunteer working was so informative and I will stop again just to revisit this museum. Galloway was definitely an eccentric and creative genius. This is a great place to stop with pets (even though they aren't allowed in the workshop/museum. There is a large area behind the park for running.

Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park is a really small but nice spot to stop by. It's pretty cool getting…read moreto see the world's tallest totem pole up close it's definitely something unique you don't see every day. The grounds are simple but well worth a quick visit if you're in the area. They do have a cute little gift shop, which adds to the experience, but unfortunately the service wasn't great. I had my 2 year old son with me, and the woman working there told me it's not a place for kids, which felt pretty off putting. Overall, it's a neat and interesting place to check out, just maybe be prepared for a less-than welcoming experience in the shop.